Business

Ramnath Kovind - 14th President of India

Why is Ram Nath Kovind a prominent figure among the President of India?

Ram Nath Kovind is the 14th and the present President of India. He assumed the office of the President of India on 25th July 2017. Kovind has worked extensively in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

He received his bachelor's degree and LLB degree from DAV college, affiliated to Kanpur University. He was a lawyer who practised int he Delhi High Court, and the Supreme Court for about sixteen years.

Kovind was nominated as a presidential candidate by the ruling NDA coalition. He won the presidential election against Meira Kumar. Kovind was the Governor of Bihar before being appointed the President of India. He began his political career in 1994, when he was elected as a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. He was an MP for two terms - 1994 to 2006.

Kovind also served as member of the board of management of Dr. BR Ambedkar University, Lucknow, and as a member of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. He represented India in the UN in New York, and addressed the UN General Assembly in 2002.

How did Ramnath Kovind start his career?

Ramnath Kovind was born on 1st October 1945 in Paraukh, near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Kovind belongs to the Dalit Koli community. He was born to Maiku Lal and Kalawati. His father was a landless poor man who ran a small shop to support his family. He was the youngest among three brothers and two sisters.

After graduating in law from a Kanpur college, Kovind went to Delhi to prepare for the Indian Administrative Services. He, however, did not join the administrative service, as he was selected for the allied services. Ramnath Kovind started practicing law.

Kovind served as the Central government's advocate in the Delhi High Court from 1977 to 1979, and Central Government standing counsel in the Supreme Court from 1980 to 1993.

He became an Advocate-on-Record of the Supreme Court of India in 1978. He practised at the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court till 1993.

He also served as the personal assistant of the former Prime Minister, Morarji Desai.

How did Ram Nath Kovind's political career start?

Ramnath Kovind began his political career in 1994 when he was elected as a member of Rajya Sabha, from Uttar Pradesh. He served for two consecutive terms for 12 years, till March, 2006. As a member of Parliament, he served on the parliamentary committees for the welfare of scheduled castes/tribes, home affairs, petroleum and natural gas, social justice and empowerment, law and justice.

He focused on education in rural areas by helping in the construction of school buildings in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. As a member of the Bharatiya Janatha Party Kovind served as the president of the BJP Dalit Morcha between 1998 and 2002.

Kovind was appointed as the Governor of Bihar on 8th August 2015, by the then, President of India Pranab Kumar Mujherjee. Kovind held his office till he resigned after being nominated for the office of the President of India. He won the presidential race by receiving 65.65 per cent of the valid votes.

Personal Life : Ramnath Kovind married Savita Kovind on 30th May 1974. The have a son, Prashant Kumar, and a daughter, Swati. He has donated his ancestral house to the people of his native village, Paraukh as a community hall.